ILLINOIS RESULTS Democrats 97% of precincts reporting Gore 84% Bradley 14% Republicans 97% of precincts reporting Bush 67% McCain 22% Keyes 9% Percentages will not necessarily add to 100. WHAT'S NEXT Puerto Rico will select 59 Democratic delegates in an open primary on Sunday, March 26. [ Full schedule ]

Chris Mooney, director of the Illinois Legislative Studies Center at the University of Illinois at Springfield, said some GOP voters probably want to send their nominee a message by voting for Sen. John McCain or Alan Keyes.

"After it's sewn up, its safe to vote for the odd candidate in order to make a statement," Mooney said after Tuesday's voting. "That's something Bush obviously has to deal with. He has not dealt with the McCain question."

With 97 percent of precincts reporting in the Republican primary, unofficial returns showed Bush with 484,706 votes, or 67 percent, and McCain with 154,968 votes, or 22 percent. Keyes had 64,321 votes, or 9 percent.

But in the races for delegates who actually pick the GOP nominee, Bush was winning in every district.

On the Democratic side, with 97 percent of precincts reporting, Gore had 662,809 votes, or 84 percent, according to unofficial returns, while Bill Bradley had 112,575 votes, or 14 percent.

In primary races around the country a week ago, Bush never got less than 74 percent of the vote.

"We may have a little bit of work to do," acknowledged John Pastuovic, a spokesman for Bush's Illinois campaign. "I think what that shows is that the McCain voters are staying in the Republican Party. Come general election day, they're going to be in Governor Bush's column."

Mooney agreed that Bush has time to shore up his support, as did Dick Simpson, a former Chicago alderman who now teaches political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

But Simpson noted Bush also will probably face conservative Patrick Buchanan running for the Reform Party.

"That means Bush has to overcome the McCain split and he's attacked from the right by Buchanan, who can be very effective on the stump," he said.

To some degree Tuesday's presidential contest was less a primary than an early skirmish in the general election.

It's no coincidence that both Bush and Gore visited Illinois shortly before the election, even though the outcome of the primary was not in doubt. They were trying to build support for the fall in a key state.

Presidential candidates always fight hard for Illinois and its 22 Electoral College votes.